Sam Richards

Sam Richards

Penn State students in Sociology 425 Social Conflict -- a class that explores inter-group and international conflict and cooperation related primarily to the Israel-Palestine conflict -- are using videoconferencing technologies to connect with people who live in the conflict zone or who have experienced conflict in another part of the world.

Penn State Abington is taking its commitment to faculty staff development to a higher level next week with the introduction of Abington Academy. The daylong series of sessions on Aug. 20 will serve as a lead in to the fall semester with Opening Convocation and New Student Day to follow. One of the highlights of the initial Abington Academy will be a keynote by the University’s Sam Richards, one of the most provocative and popular sociology instructors in the country. His presentation will focus on the value of fearlessly addressing sensitive topics and embracing new technologies in the classroom.

While the University community continues to cope with the gravity and complexity of issues related to the Jerry Sandusky allegations, several Penn State professors have integrated it into the classroom to help students share their thoughts about the issues and learn from them, too.

Penn State Public Broadcasting will show a new episode of "Conversations from Penn State" at 10:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19 and again at 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28, on WPSU-TV. The shows will give viewers an inside look at the World in Conversation Project, a study of dialogue surrounding social and cultural issues. Sam Richards and Laurie Mulvey, co-directors of the project, talk about their race relations work and why it's okay to examine politically incorrect thoughts as a way to think through the issues.

Richards, a senior lecturer in Sociology and co-director (along with his wife and colleague Laurie Mulvey) of the World in Conversation Project, explained that if race didn't still matter, people would have no reservations about openly discussing racial stereotypes and differences.

The first signs of spring mark the return to downtown State College of Research Unplugged, a non-traditional lecture series where experts from varying fields lead conversations with community members. All six Research Unplugged talks will be held Wednesdays from noon to 1 p.m., at the Penn State Downtown Theatre on Allen Street. On March 23, join sociology professor Sam Richards and colleague Danna Jayne Seballos of the "World in Conversation Project" to find out "Why Race Still Matters: Creating Conversations in 21st Century Classrooms."